Webinar 'The Finnish Family Centre Model'
Ontdek een van Europa's meest toonaangevende modellen voor geïntegreerde gezinsondersteuning
Thematisch webinar
8 oktober 2026 | 14.00 – 16.00 uur
Georganiseerd door het Kenniscentrum Gezinswetenschappen en COFACE Families Europe in het kader van het European Observatory on Family Policies.
Als een soort “teaser” in aanloop naar de publicatie van de komende Insights on Family Policy-bijdrage van het Observatory in november 2026, zal het webinar ingaan op belangrijke vragen rond de werking van het Finse model van gezinscentra. Daarbij komen onder meer de sectoroverschrijdende structuur aan bod, governance op meerdere bestuursniveaus en de implementatie, en meer specifiek hoe het model wordt aangepast aan verschillende regionale contexten.
Het webinar zal volledig in het Engels verlopen.
Evaluating and Replicating a European Best Practice in Multi-Agency Prevention
For more than 20 years, Finland has been developing an integrated approach to family support through its nationwide Family Centre (Perhekeskus) model. Today, nearly 200 family centres provide coordinated services for families with children, making the model a cornerstone of the Finnish welfare system.
Family centres bring together professionals from different sectors to offer:
- early intervention and prevention
- health promotion
- family support and rehabilitation
- integrated, multidisciplinary services
- physical, digital and network-based support
Through close collaboration across sectors, the model aims to prevent social exclusion, strengthen family resilience, and reduce the need for intensive interventions.
Beyond family centres: strengthening communities
The Family Centre network is complemented by more than 500 low-threshold open meeting places. In these spaces, professionals and volunteers collaboratively foster social inclusion, community resilience, and wellbeing for children and youth. The operational synergy between these two institutional pillars forms the foundation of the Finnish model.
Together, these two pillars form the foundation of the Finnish Family Centre model.
What to expect
This webinar, hosted by the European Observatory on Family Policy, brings together policymakers, researchers, practitioners and service providers interested in integrated family policies and cross-sectoral collaboration.
Participants will gain practical insights into how the Finnish model is designed, governed and implemented, while engaging directly with researchers and frontline professionals.
Learning objectives
The event’s objectives are threefold:
- first, to disseminate the core structural features of the Finnish Family Centre model;
- second, to compare how decentralized governance impacts service delivery across various regional administrative units, known as Welfare Counties, and how that can be reconciled with national minimum thresholds;
- and finally, to bridge the gap between policy and practice by connecting international participants directly with local family centre directors.
Speakers
Hanne Kalmari is Development Manager at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). She monitors, guides and helps to develop the social services targeted at children and families, specialising in early intervention policies, youth mental health prevention frameworks, and the national implementation of the Finnish Family Centre model.
Sonja Hartikainen is Service manager and Head of family services at the North Karelia Wellbeing Services County. She oversees the operational management and strategic coordination of social and family support services across the North Karelia region.
Terhi Vierikko is Director of Family Centre Services at the Southwest Finland Wellbeing Services County. She leads the development of Family Centre Services and multidisciplinary collaboration across the Southwest Finland region, while promoting service integration between the wellbeing services county, municipalities, and third-sector organizations.
Pia Pelkonen is Senior Social Worker at the Southwest Finland Wellbeing Services County. She oversees family counselling services and the development and supervision of digital family support services.
Anu Säynäjäkangas serves as a Service Manager in Family Services, Family centre and Rapid Family Counselling Services in Pirkanmaa wellbeing services county.
